2025 Labor & Employment Law Seminar
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Optional Pre-Seminar Lunch Workshop | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT
Labor & Employment Law Seminar | 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT
Crete Carrier Riverview Lodge, E.T. Mahoney State Park
28500 W. Park Hwy., Ashland, NE 68003
Please join us on Wednesday, October 22, for our Annual Labor & Employment Law Seminar. This seminar will be beneficial for business owners, in-house counsel, managers, and human resource professionals who deal with HR and personnel issues on a routine basis. This in-person seminar is complimentary; however, registration is required by October 15.
This year, an optional pre-seminar lunch workshop will start at 11:30 a.m. Advanced registration for the workshop is required.
Please Note: This event will not be offered virtually and will not be recorded.
AGENDA
| 11:00 a.m. | Check-In Opens for Optional Pre-Seminar Lunch Workshop (Lunch Included) |
| 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Scary Times: Preparing for ICE Raids and Audits Pamela J. Bourne and Erin L. Ebeler, Attorneys, Woods Aitken |
| As the spooky season approaches, the threat of ICE raids and audits remains looming. Join us for a chilling presentation on how to prepare for these haunting scenarios and craft your response plan to protect your organization from unforeseen nightmares. |
| 12:30 p.m. | Check-In Opens for Labor & Employment Law Seminar (Does Not Include Lunch) |
| 1:00 p.m.-1:45 p.m. | Compliance Nightmares: Don’t Get Tricked by 2025 Labor & Employment Law Changes Pamela J. Bourne, Attorney, Woods Aitken |
| Avoid the legal cobwebs — and stay compliant in the face of scary new developments. Pam Bourne will provide an overview of this year’s most significant labor and employment law developments. Pam will cover key court decisions, updates from federal employment agencies, and the legality of medical marijuana in Nebraska. Armed with these practical insights and best practices, you’ll be ready to dodge the tricks and treat your workplace to compliance confidence—no haunted HR nightmares here! | |
| 1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Don’t Get Spooked: Best Practices for Navigating Religious, Disability, and Pregnancy-Related Accommodation Issues Ashley H. Connell and Laurel E. Stoncius, Attorneys, Woods Aitken |
| As workplace accommodation requests continue to grow in frequency and complexity, it’s easy for employers to feel spooked by compliance demands and haunted by the specter of legal risk. This session will clarify employers’ obligations to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act, and Title VII—highlighting the similarities and key differences in the interactive process, permissible documentation, and undue hardship standards when dealing with accommodation requests related to disabilities; pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions; and religious beliefs and practices. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies and best practices to confidently navigate the accommodation labyrinth—and avoid lurking compliance traps and legal pitfalls. | |
| 2:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. | Break |
| 2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | The DEI Monster Under the Bed: Navigating Administration Changes and the Impact on Your Organization Erin L. Ebeler, Attorney, Woods Aitken |
| Following the change in presidential administrations, policies relating to DEI feel a bit like the monster under the bed: scary and with unknown risks. We’re going to shine a flashlight on the executive orders and federal agency guidance documents attacking DEI-related efforts to understand what’s real, what’s scary, and how employers can sleep at night given conflicting DEI obligations under executive orders, court decisions, agency guidance, and state/federal statutes. | |
| 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. | Ghoul-rilla Tactics: The NLRB’s Scary Reach into Non-Unionized Workplaces Jerry L. Pigsley, Attorney, Woods Aitken |
| In this session, we’ll shine a lantern on some of the NLRB’s most recent moves that may send a chill down the spine of any employer. We’ll explore the new Acting General Counsel’s memos, which have swept away prior guidance and now haunt areas like non-compete agreements, severance agreements, electronic monitoring, and even the rights of student athletes. We’ll also take a walk through the graveyard of precedent, where Trump’s Board overturned decisions made by Biden’s Board, reshaping the rules in ways that continue to affect today’s workplace. Finally, we’ll unmask examples of employer actions that have been found lawful in union organizing campaigns—giving you a few tricks (and maybe some treats) for navigating the NLRB’s scary reach into non-unionized workplaces. | |
| 4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m. | Don’t Get Haunted by AI: Avoiding Legal Nightmares in the Workplace Sarah L. Carstensen and Karen B. Rogers, Attorneys, Woods Aitken |
| Step into the haunted house of HR, where artificial intelligence tools are reshaping workplace decisions—from hiring to promotions to surveillance—but may summon legal spirits if left unchecked. This eerie and enlightening session explores how AI intersects with discrimination law, privacy rights, and compliance obligations under Title VII, ADA, and emerging state and federal regulations. You’ll leave with new information for your spellbook of best practices and a glimpse into the future of AI governance, litigation risks, and employer responsibilities in an increasingly automated world. | |
| 5:00 p.m. | Closing Remarks |
Recertification Credits:
Nebraska MCLE (#272504): 4.75 General Credits
Colorado CLE (#865122): 6.0 General Credits including 1.80 EDI Credits
Pre-Seminar Workshop (Scary Times: Preparing for ICE Raids and Audits)
SHRM: Woods Aitken is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. This program is valid for 1.0 PDC. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit shrm.org.
HRCI: This program has been pre-approved for 1.0 (HR General) credit toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). HR Certification Institute’s® (www.HRCI.org) official seal confirms that Woods Aitken meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.
Labor & Employment Law Seminar
SHRM: Woods Aitken is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. This program is valid for 3.75 PDC. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit shrm.org.
HRCI: This program has been pre-approved for 3.75 (HR General) credit toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). HR Certification Institute’s® (www.HRCI.org) official seal confirms that Woods Aitken meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.
Questions? Contact:
Lindsay Pape
(402) 437-8553
lpape@woodsaitken.com